Contents

Plot

Spencer makes an electromagnetic Christmas tree which bursts into flames. Carly becomes furious and upset because she wanted a real tree and the fire ruins the presents she got for him. After Carly wishes that Spencer was born normal, she is visited by her guardian angel Mitch who surprises her and makes the wish come true (In which, after the wish came true, we can describe the alternate reality as 2008A). The next day at school, Sam is absent, Freddie was never friends with her, and to make matters worse -- Nevel Papperman is Carly's boyfriend and he even kissed her. Carly questions Mitch about Sam's disappearance, and she is then taken to the Juvenile Detention Center, Juvie, where Sam is being held.

Sam in 2008A

Carly also realizes that Sam was never friends with her either. Carly returns home and then is told that Mrs. Benson and Spencer are now engaged, causing her to become angry at what the world has become. Carly then walks up the stairs and finds out that, because Sam and Freddie were never friends with her, iCarly had never even existed, either. She then begins to cry, realizing how much the world would change if Spencer was born normal. Mitch turns the world back to normal, making Spencer born abnormal, (ending the world called 2008A, bring the real 2008 back to existence). Carly gives Freddie the biggest hug he has probably ever gotten and Carly is thrilled when she sees Sam and gives her a huge hug. Carly is now happy with the electromagnetic Christmas tree, and they all have a very happy Christmas together in the end.

Carly with her guardian angel in 2008A

The gang singing.

Tabitha playing Rona in iChristmas in 2008A

The tree in the real, unaltered 2008

Trivia

The ending, with Carly saying that the tree needs a little love, saying that Spencer's not normal but he made a nice tree, and the cast gathering around "oo oo oooing" to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," is a take off of the ending to A Charlie Brown Christmas.

A way to describe this alternate reality where Spencer is normal can be defined as 2008A, because the show was aired that year & it is unknown what the actual year the show's setting is, The "A" in 2008A represents the alternate reality which was originally used in the 80's Back to the Future Trilogy.

The elevator door is not closed at the end when Carly is not in 2008A, although like in other episodes,the elevator door automatically closes.

Unlike most episodes of iCarly which take place in reality, this episode has a strong magical component as there is no indication that Carly actually dreamed up Mitch the Angel or the "alternate reality" in which she found herself.

When Carly walks down the stairs after talking to Mitch, Spencer is talking on the phone about Schneider and Newman, who are the writers of the show.

When Carly is sitting in the hallway crying, and as everything returns to normal, watch for the impressive visual effect as her shirt changes color without any apparent edit or stop-tape.

The hammer from the episode, iWanna Stay with Spencer, that nearly killed Carly is briefly referenced by Carly when everything is back to normal: "Hello hammer that almost killed me!

This special aired five days after the Drake & Josh special aired, which also starred Miranda Cosgrove.

Continuity goof: After the fire, Carly storms upstairs into her studio and closes the door. After her first encounter with Mitch, she goes to leave the studio - and the door is open.

This episode is the first to demonstrate the importance of not only Sam, but Freddie and his unrequited love for Carly, to Carly and the show.

This is the first episode in which Nevel appears and does not use the term "rue."

It is discovered that Sam's favorite color is brown, as it is the color of gravy. It is also discovered that Sam wants to be an invisible ninja when she grows up.

This episode marks Reed Alexander (Nevel Papperman)'s season two debut.

When Mitch says Carly's name, she asks how he knew. She probably forgot that she's a celebrity on the internet.

This episode is an obvious parody of "It's a Wonderful Life" where the main character is shown what the world would be like if he wasn't born.

This is the first episode when Carly reveals everything she knows about Sam.

Mitch talks about how he has to earn has wings, so teaching Carly a lesson would be a perfect opportunity (a reference to "It's a Wonderful Life"). At the end, it turns out he was talking about chicken wings, not angel wings.

This episode was originally planned to have Lewbert make an appearance in Carly's alternate universe as her butler.

Sam wears the same red and white striped shirt that Carly wore in iHurt Lewbert.

If Spencer had married Freddie's mother, Freddie would become Spencer's son, and Carly would become Mrs. Benson's sister-in-law. Carly would become Freddie's aunt, and Freddie would become Carly's nephew, but only by marriage and not blood.

This episode is only shown on TV around Christmas time because it is a Christmas episode.

When Carly returns from school and in to the iCarly studio or Storage room, there's a box at the front that reads 'Josh's Papers.'

During the webshow, Carly and Sam are on a sleigh, with artificial snow falling down on them, and show Freddie in a flashlight costume that actually works! Carly responds that the audience doesn't want to know where the batteries go.

This is the last episode to air in 2008.

Gibby does not appear in this episode.

Sam's corrections officer in juvie is played by Dot Marie Jones, who is best known for her role as Coach Shannon Beiste (Football) on FOX's Glee. Sam's mother is played by Jane Lynch, who plays Coach Sue Sylvester (Cheerleading) in Glee.

Goofs

Its unlikely for the lights in the iCarly Studio to be on so late at night.

In the opening sequence in the iCarly studio there are two plastic donkeys with moose antlers attached; in subsequent sequences that show the iCarly studio there is only one.

Carly and Freddie should've known each other when Spencer is normal. If Freddie's mom visits Spencer, Carly and Freddie should really know each other a lot, and Freddie would still love her. Maybe the writers goofed on this because they wanted to demonstrate how important Freddie and his love for her is to Carly?

Why is Freddie in love with Rona? It doesn't matter if Spencer is normal, Carly said that everyone hates her, so Freddie hates her too. Spencer has nothing to do with Rona.

Nevel would never be Carly's boyfriend because she met him through a meeting about iCarly with him. Since iCarly doesn't exist when her life is normal, she wouldn't have met him.

Nevel doesn't go to her school, and even if he did, Carly would never be in love with him because of the fact he is still creepy as she said and he is younger than her.

When Carly's dream starts, she's wearing pajamas and it's the middle of the night, but when it ends she has her normal clothes on and Freddie and Sam are in her house as if it's the middle of the day. (disputed. it would have took time to dream, and Carly probably sleep-walked or something.)

All of the above issues could be nullified if the entire scenario was indeed a dream, as dreams often don't make logical sense.

When Mitch is talking to Carly in the end on the computer, she can see Mitch but her laptop doesn't have a webcam so he can't see her but it makes it look like he can.

When Carly first enters the studio, the pear on Freddie's Pearbook is red. When Carly leaves the room, the Pearbook is blue.

At the end, when they are decorating the tree and Carly is not in the alternate universe, you can see that the elevator door is not closed. As seen in other episodes, the elevator door automatically closes and there is no one in the elevator to press the <- -> to keep the elevator open.

Quotes

Carly: Mitch! Mitch! Mitch!Mitch: Wow, you say, "Mitch" a lot!

Carly: It's my fault you're in here.Sam: YOU'RE the one who called the cops?!

Carly: And how would I know that your mom's foot has a tattoo on it?Sam: A tattoo of what?Carly: A foot!

Sam: What's my favorite color?Carly: Brown.Sam: Why?Carly: It's the color of gravy!Sam: What do I wanna be when I grow up?Carly: An invisible ninja!Sam: WOW...